Mucking machine



Sept. 28 1926. 1,601,134

Y J. E., MATTINSON ET AL MUCKING MACHINE Filed May 11, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 or; 5 n

v u, o O O 0 9 Q Q Q 0 O o FIE. E

" iw A TTORHEIYS Patented Sept. 28, M26.

were err,

MUQKING IVtACl-EINE.

Application h arsa 11, 1325. Serial no 29,336.

Our invention relates to muckin ma-been broken down from the face 0 1 V a: e

chines, and more particularly to mucking machines for use in mining'operations.

An object ofour invention is to provide a mucking machine that can be operated in a narrow tunnel.

Another object of our invention is to provide a mucking machine that can excavate material and "load it" into cars without swinging the 'dippei'.-

3:; further object of our invention is to provide a mucking machine ha-vinga bucket from which the dug materialclischarges due solely to the elevation of the bucket."

A'further object of the invention is to provide a mucking machine in which the dug material discharges from the bucket to conveyor, when the" bucket is elevated.

' The invention possesses other advantageous ieatures,'some of which with the force going, will be set forth at length in the following description, where we shall outline in full that form of the mucking machine'ot' our invention, which wehaveselected for illustra ion in thedrawings accompanying and forming part of the'prcsent'specificm tion. in said'drawings we have shown one form of mucking machine"einbodying our invention, but it is to' be understood that we do not limit ourselves to such form, since the invention, as set forth 'tlie'claim s, may be embodied in'a p'lurality'oi forms.

In the drawings:

igure 1 is a ide elevation of a mucking machine embodying our invention arranged on a track to dump material into cars on the traclnpart of the machine and cars being broken away to rednce the size the figure; Fig. 2 is a plan of the machine shown in his a plan, on a larger scale,'o1 the hle platform of ounmucking machine, 7 on of the head-frame being taken on the line'8- -3or" Fig. l;

' Broadly speaking, the mucking machine of our invention preferably comprisesa base provided with a conveyor and a dipper or bucket and itsoperating mechanism mounted on saidbase for universal movement and adapted to discharge material collected in ,d d pper, through the dipper handle or booin' onto said conveyor.

in mining operations, for which our mucking machine is especially adapted, it is necessary to handle large quantities of loosenedearth or similar materialwhich has workings. This material must be loaded into cars for removal from the mine and mucking machines or shovelling machines 60 are employed for this purpose. The mucking machine is preferably advanced on tracks as the work proceeds and these tracks serve to carry the cars into which the mate rial is loaded by the mucking machine. I

111 the operation, asheretoiore practiced with existing mucking machines, the dipper of the machine is lowered and crowded into the bank of material ahead-'ofit to charge it with material. 'Vthen the dipper is full, it s elevated sufficiently toclear-the cars and 1S swung from the front of the'shovel approximately through semi-circle to the rear of the shovel and directly above'a car. The bottom of the 'dipper is dropped and the excavated material falls into the car. The bottom oil the dipper is thenclosed and the dipper is ain swiing through a'semicircie'to its for position in front of the shovel. It is then lowered and the cycle of operations'is repeated. It is apparent that a narrow tunnel will-preclude the use ol a mucl ng machine of this type since there is not su icient room for the dipper to swing from its-excavatingposition to its car- The' mucking'machine or" our invention is designed espe'ciallgy for'op'eration in a narrow-tunnel. To this end, we provide a machine adapted tofbe run into the endo't a tunnel but which can er; "avate and load material with at swinging the dipper in a semi-circle from the front to the rear of the machine. L In our 'machine', material collected in the dipper runs, when the dipper is raised, by gravity down the dipper handle .or boom which is it'ormed'lil ze a chute, and

which run on a-track l1 laid in the tunnel and the machine 'may be propelled "by a mine locomotive or'may itself be equipped with propellingmeansl At the rear end of the base 6, a framework 7 is erected to carry an endless belt conveyor. The conveyor is disposed on the fran'iework in substantially a horizontal po sition and extends beyond the rear of the base 6 sui'liciently to over-hang a dump car 9 standing on the track 11, to the rear of the mucking machine. If conditions permit, the conveyor is preferably extended to overhang a munber of dump cars to the rear of the mucking machine so that the cars may be tilled successively by being drawn under the discharge end of the conveyor in turn. Suitable means, such as an electric motor 12 and proper intermediate mechanism 13 are provided for driving the belt ll. The loading end of the conveyor preferably lies substantially directly over the center of rotation of a rotatable platform 15 mounted on the base.

The rotatable platform is pivoted at its center on a pin 19 secured to the base and is carried bv a plurality of wheels or rollers 21 arranged in a circle on the under site of the platfrom and engaging a track formed by the side of the ring gear 92 secured to the base concentric with the center of the platform. A reversible elec tric motor mounted on the platform drives a pinion 2% which is journalled verically in the platform and meshes with the ring gear. The platform is thus readily rotatable in either direction relative to the base and at the same time is solidly supported to withstand heavy loads.

The mast or head frame 17 for su aporting the dipper and dipper handle an their operating mechanisms is mounted on the forward end of the platform. The mast is made up of a pair of parallel upright columns, such as the channel irons Q5, 26, spaced aparttransversely and substantially braced to the platform. The mast carries lneans for manipulating the dipper in loading and unloading operations, these means including mechanism for raising the dipper, for crowding it into the material being worked, and for varying the effective length of the dipper handle. Journalled in the mast is a transverse shaft 27 to which is secured a. pinion 28 which engages a rack 4:7 secured to the under side of the chute 29, which forms the dip )er handle, and by rotation of the shaft, the effective length of the dipper handle is varied.

Suitable means are provided for driving the shaft 97 in either direction to raise and lower the dipper, and in the present instance a separate drive is provided for the transverse or crowder shaft 27. Each end of the crowder shaft carries a crank 32, 33, fixed on the shaft so that the two cranks are spaced 90 degrees apart in the direction of rotation of the shaft. A similar shaft ill: is mounted on the platform parallel to the crowder shaft and is also provided with comparable cranks 36, 37. The cranks at the corresponding ends of the shafts are connected by the connecting rods 38 and Ill). The shaft 34: on the platform provided at its center with a gear 10 which is one o l a train of gears connecting the shaft with a reversible electric motor 31, which is also preferably mounted on the platform.

The dipper and dipper handle which in the ordinary steam shovel are roughly a scoop mounted on the end of a boom, in our mucking machine are a unitary structure comprising a chute 29 having a bottom two sides -13 and 1-1, and one closed end -15. As is shown most clearly in Fig. 1 the dipper and dipper handle have bottom wall which lie in the same plane and form substantially a common bottom wall. it longitudinal rack 4:7 is centrally disposed there on, and meshes with the pinion on th crowder shaft 27, so that when the pinion is rotated, the dipper and dipper handle arcprojected or retracted according to the direction of rotation of the pinion. The rack extends practically the entire length of the bottom wall to permit a large range oi movement of the dipper. The dipper and dipper handle also have common side walls disposed approximately at right angles to the bottom wall and which are spaced apart the same amount throughout tl e length of the dipper and dipper handle. it the digging or excavating end, the side walls are made higher to increase the capacity oi the dipper. The bottom wall and side walls form a chute which is closed at the dipper end by an end wall 15 preferably disposed obliquely to the bottom wall. Teeth -15 are provided on the end wall and may be mounted to projectover the leading edge to facilitate excavating.

Means are provided for raising and lowering the unitary dipper and dipper handle. One side wall of the dipper is provided wiih a. suitable pulley -19 in alignment with a pulley 51 journalled at the top of one of the channel irons forming the mast. A cable is provided, having one end anchored to the top of the channel iron and engaging the pulley on the dipper, passing over the allry at the top of the mast, and a wimling :1 round and being anchored to a drum mouui sl on a shaft 5% journalled in supports on the plat-form. The drum shaft is connextcd through suitable speed reducing gears to a reversible electric motor 57 supported by the platform. A similar cable as and sq-t oi pulleys 59, 60 are provided or. the other side of the dipper and operate. in conjuncti n with a drum 62 mounted on the same shaft and rotated with the drum 53. Each side of the dipper is thus provided with substantially a. block and tackle, the two being arranged to operate in unison.

It will be noted in the foregoing descrip tion that the crowder shaft, the raising and lowering mechanism, the rotatable platlow lld

controllers 53, 5a,

, be required. 1

form, and the belt conveyor-are each actuated by a separate electric motor; Univerni'ensionl'v "Till the nioto-rs except the con veyor motor- .are reversible and each is equipped -with a separate Controller. The three motors are preferably provided with of the street-car type, which may be grouped together for convenience of operation at the front oi the platform so that the operator may watch the operation of the dipper. Motors operating on compressed air or by othermeansmay or course be used in place of electric motors. Ourmucking machine can be used for a variety of purposes not connected with mining, such as digging trenches, but it is particularly adapted for use in mines, and its operation may best be understood from a description of its use in that connection.

The machine. is run into the end of a tunnel and the electric motors connected to a source of electricity. A train of dump cars is positioned atthe rear of the muc ing machine preferably with the overhanging end oi the conveyor above the farthest The proper controller is operated to cause the motor 23 to revolve the platform slightly to one side of the center of the machine. The motor 57 operatingthe cable drum 53 and 52 is then set in motion to pay out the cable and lower the dipper and dipper handle; The motor 3'1 is then energized and by its motion, turns the pinion on the crowder shaft to force the dipper and dipper handle to be projected or crowded into the bank of material to be excavated. It

is to be understood that the motors 57 and 31 may be operated in conjunction to position the dipper and dipper handle as may hey are then controlled either separately or together to raise the dipper from the lowered position, shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 1, to the upper position indi'iated by the full lines in Fig. 1. As the dipper is raised, it is filled with material. The teeth on the leading edge of the end wall are of assistance in scraping material from the bank ahead of the machine and aid in filling the dipper. As the dipper is being raised,'the pinion 27 is rotated to shorten the eii ective dipper handle and place the end of the handle remote from the dipper over the end of the conveyor and to permit the chute or handle to assume sufiicient inclination in the small tunnel to cause the material to flow by gravity through the chute. When the dipper 18 is in raised posit-ion, the material it has gathered runs by gravity down the chutelike dipper handle 29 and is discharged onto the belt conveyor 8 which carries it'along and loads it into the cars 9, 10. Then one car 9 is full, the mucking machine may be moved forward or the cars moved backward to bring the next en'ipty car 10 into position beneath the end of the'conveyor. 'ihe t" aperis raised and lowered, crowded into t= bank, and by means of the rotatable platform, swung from side to side until the desired excavation has been made. The end of the dipper handle being above the conveyor and directly over the center of re tation of the platform, when the dipper is in the discharging position shown' in Fig. 1 material may discharge on the conveyor even tho i the platform and dipper have been swung to one side. i I

The mucking machine may then be moved ahead to'excavate more material. T

It i seen that our mucking machine pro} vides means for removing material and loading onto cars without swinging the dipper through'a semi-circle from the front to the oi the machine and is thus well adal'ited for use in narrow tunnels, and that due to the shifting of the dipper handle with respect to its fulcrum, that the dipper handle may be moved to such inclination to effect the gravital discharge or the material, with out i. -ng the dipper'to an excessive height, thus permitting the machine to be used in low tunnels. The operationgof the machine is much quicker than the operation of the swinging boom type of machine, so that the material may be handled with greater dispatch and consequently at a lesser cost.

i le claim:

1. In a mucking machine, a dipper adapted to receive and discharge material, a dipper handle forming a chute into which said dipper discharges, and a conveyor imme diately below said dipper handle for receiving material from said dipper handle, said dipper handle being mounted for universal movement with respect to said conveyor.

2.111 a mucking machine, a dipper for containing material, a dipper handle form ing a chute upon one end of which said dipper is mounted and thru which material discharged from said dipper may pass, and a conveyor immediatelybelow the other end of said dipper handle for receiving the material which passes thru said dipper handle, said other end of the dipper handle being capable of universal movement with respect to said conveyor.

3. In. a mucking machine, a dipper, a chute-like operating handle secured to the d per, means for moving the handle longiituuinally, means for rotating said handle, means for swinging the handle in a vertical arc to incline it suliiciently to permit the gravital disc iarge of material therethru and a conveyor arranged immediately below said dipper handle to receive the material from the handle.

4. In a mucking machine, a mobile base, a rotatable platform mounted on said base anion.

in a in r-lqina' machine, a mobile base, a rotatable platform in i inted on said base and having); an t thereon, means for rotating sail mounted on sai'l base said platt'orm, means 5 flat,

and extending over operating said conveyor, a unitary dip ii and dipper ham; lulerunied on said mast, means for shit the dipper and dipper handle rerti rally and horirout-all with respect to the base, said dipper handle forming a chute for tran material from said digper to said belt eit-ni'eyor when said dipper and dipper handle are in raised position.

(3. in a mucking! maehine. a mobile base. a rotatable platform mounted on said base a nd having an upright mast thereon. IHYZUIS tor rotating said platform n ounted thereon. a belt conveyor mounted on and extending; beyond said base. means "for operating; Said conveyor mounted thereon, a rotatable pinion on a shafttransiersely mounted on said mash means for rotating said pinion mounted on said platform, raek engaging said pinion and mounted on and reinforcing the bottom wall ofa unitary dipper and dipper handle, said dipper handle forming a ehute for transferring material from said dipper to said belt conveyor a block and tackle engaging said dipper and the top or said mast. and means "for operating said bloel; and tackle.

7. in a munfnin; machine, a rotatable platform mounted on a base. a belt eonieror mounted on said base and having one end disposed substant: direml above the (enter oi rotation o 'd platfornn a mast on said plat'iori'n har'i a movable dipper han' dle thereon, said dipper nandle being adapted in one position to disel arge material from 422*." end r wit, the discharge end oi? said 4 .e in discharge position being osed direetly above the center of rotasaid platform and above said belt unit-hing maehine, a mobile basn le platform mounted on said base. t mast mounted eeeentrieally on "m and r'stationarfi' relative thereto for mounted on and at one end orerl ring; said l ase and at the other end exte: any); ore; said platiprn'n and a unitarv dipper and dipper handle mounted on said adapted to dis-charge onto said eon- Yhereof, we have hereunto JESSE E. Mi-XJTPTXQOK. ERNEST J. MOODY. 

